Get Started with Literature Reviews
Music Education Literature Review Example:
Enz, N. (2013). Teaching Music to the Non-Major: A Review of the Literature. UPDATE: Applications Of Research In Music Education, 32(1), 34-42.
doi:10.1177/8755123313502344
Enz clearly states that he's interested in three research questions.
- Why is studying music at the college level important for non-music majors?
- What are the appropriate goals for college-level music study for non-majors?
- What methodologies and curricula are recommended for teaching the non-major and how might they be improved?
Because this is a literature review, Enz does not seek to answer these questions himself through applying a specific research methodology. Instead, he is curious to know what answers to these questions already exist so that they can be collected and examined for differences and commonalities. As he states in the concluding remarks, "It is my hope that this article will serve as a catalyst for future discourse and study."
Music Therapy Literature Review Example:
"This paper examines grounded theory within music therapy research." It also does a wonderful job of outlining its methodology, providing a concise overview of results, and a few practical conclusions based on this review of grounded theory literature."
Note the sources used for this literature review (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, and ERIC) are quite different from those used in the first literature review example (RILM, Music Index, ERIC, College Music Symposium publications). The only source reviewed by both articles in ERIC.
Literature Review Guide
The Literature Review by Call Number: Rita Benton Music Library Stacks (LB1047.3 .M33 2012 )ISBN: 9781506336244Publication Date: 2016-06-09From daunting to doable in six steps The process of literature search and composing a formal literature review can be intimidating. But masters and doctoral candidates in Education and related fields have found academic argumentation to be seamlessly intuitive with the six-step process pioneered by this book. This updated third edition features a wealth of all-new content including: A flowchart that graphically illustrates Machi and McEvoy's process. Reflective Oversight boxes in each chapter, prompting readers to direct metacognitive activities. Links to online guides and resources. Expanded examples illustrating theoretical concepts.
